Epic Mickey 3: The Rabbits Heart
by Tesla2251
Summary: Takes place after Epic Mickey 2. An infection caused by the Blot is slowly taking over Oswald, from his stationary heart out. Now Mickey has to return to the Wasteland to save his brother and rid the Waste land of the Blot. Or lose Oswald in the process. -ON HIATUS, CONTINUATON TO BE ANNOUNCED-
1. Night Terrors

Chapter. 1

Night Terrors

The creature kept getting closer, it seemed that no matter how fast he ran, he could never escape. Oswald could feel his heart racing, even if it hadn't beat for years. He scrambled around broken glass, mounds of rubble and twisted metal struts. But the thing was always on his tail.

" GET AWAY FROM ME!" he shouted at the creature, but it kept coming at him. His remote, more like a tazer than a remote, was a hopless piece of swiss cheese. Blotlettes, small drops of Blot, had eaten through it, rendering it usless. Oswald took a look back to see the inky black creature only two feet away. Oswald ran faster, but the creature was still behind him, it's lime green eyes peircing into his soul.

Suddenly, Oswald felt a upturned piece of metal grab his leg and trip him. The black and white rabbit when tumbling head over heels, landing in a heap. Oswald tried to get up, but his leg hurt. He glanced down and saw piece of glass set deep in the gash. He felt something warm running down his face. He reached up and saw blood dripping into his eye from a cut to his removable ear, that had nearly amputated it from his head. Then came the dreaded chuckle of the inky black monster. It seemed to slither forward, toward the downed rabbit.

" What do you want?" shouted the rabbit at the creature as he backed away. His injured leg dragged on the ground, through piles of broken glass and his hands became embedded with glass and splinters from broken wood beams. The creature came up to Oswald, it's eyes glaring down at him. The creatue appeared to look like him. But it was completly black, and it's skin bubbled and boiled like the wax in a lavalamp. It grinned with sharp lime green teeth.

" loOKs LikE YoU'Re LUck rAn OuT OSwaLd," it growled out.

" No! No! Please! NO!"screamed Oswald, holding up bloody hands to try and sheild himself from the attacker. The monster pounced, sharp teeth biting into his chest, and claws ripping long gashes across his face.

" NO!"Oswald screamed, sitting up suddenly. His eyes darted around. Table lamp. Bed. Blankets. Ortensia. It had been some horrible dream. Ortensia stirred and opened her eyes.

" Oswald? Are you okay?" she asked in her soft sweet voice. Her voice calmed his nerves that were currently twitching like a salvo* on a battleship. He sighed deeply and took a look at his wife, her tail twistching nervously.

" I'm fine, Ortensia. Really. It was just a nightmare," he said, forcing a grin. He knew she could see in the dark, like all cats can, and he didn't want to make her nervous.

" Are you sure? You were screaming."

"Yes, hun. I am okay now."

" Okay," she sighed softly. She layed back down, and was still, purring quietly in her sleep. Oswald took another look around the dark bedroom one more time before laying back down. But he didn't go to sleep right away. That chuckle of the Blot creature still bounced around in his head.

_" loOKs LikE YoU'Re LUck rAn OuT OSwaLd." _ Oswald pulled the covers closer and he shivered in fright. He took one last look at the clock on the night stand. 1:48 AM, this night was too long.

A couple Bunny Children bounced around Ostown, making mischief for everyone around. Animatronic Donald was busy trying to fix his tugboat, but he kept hitting his hand or thumb with the hammer and going into a rage. The bunny children stole his tools and hid them in strange places, making the robotic duck very ticked off, but they managed to keep out of his sight. They currently were hiding in the garbage can behind Ortensia, their mothers, house.

They heard footsteps and went quiet. The footsteps got closer to them. Suddenly the lid opened and they jumped out at the revealer of their hiding place. Oswald was thrown to the ground, as his kids pounced on him.

" Hey!" he shouted in surprise, spilling the contents of a waste basket on the lawn.

" Sorry dad," said one. Oswald sighed and started to clean up the mess. The Bunny Children looked at their dad. He had black circles under his eyes, and he seemed paniced about something.

" Dad, did you sleep well?" asked one.

" Why are you paniced?" asked another.

" Did you make Mama mad?" asked a third.

Oswald thought for a moment." Well...yes, no and no. I'm fine and Mom isn't mad at me today," he smiled. This was a lie, but he hoped he could fool them long enough to get back inside and sleep. Oswald tipped the waste basket into the can and he quickly left the Bunny Children behind.

" Was daddy telling the truth?" asked a third.

" He seemed really tired," added another.

" I wonder what is wrong," said a fourth.

" Maybe dad had a nightmare?" said one.

" NAW! Adults don't have nightmares," said the others. Then they bounded off to cause more mischief. As they left, something crawled out of the garbage can. It was small, and black. Little beady eyes stared out at the world. Its body was a mix of paint and thinner. It gave a very small giggle of malicious intent and slunk into the shadows, taking the paint from some grass as it went, leaving a path of ghostly transparent grass.

" Move alittle to the right, I think that should do it," said Gus as he directed the other gremlins moved the projector screen to Tomorrow City back into its proper position. The screen locked into its possitioned with a soft click.

" I think that should do it, uncle," said Marcus.

" Well, give it a test, nephew," he said.

The gremlin flew off to test the screen to see if it would funtion. Suddenly, a person jumped out the projector screen to Ostown. Gus recognised her right away. Ortensia walked up to the lead gremlin, who hovered around her like a lazy bee.

" Hello, Gus," she said softly.

" Hello Ortensia," Gus responded, bowing as he talked. The cat girl smiled.

" I see you got the projector screen to Tomorrow City working," she said, as the screen flickered back into focus.

" Yes, it took some work to get it upright and positioned properly." He looked at her face, it seemed to be is a soft frown." But I have a feeling your not here about the screen, am I right?"

" Correct. Oswald has been asleep all day. I can barly keep him up on his feet," said the cat girl.

" Did he stay up late?" the gremlin asked.

" No, he and I went to bed at the same time. But, he woke up screaming in the middle of the night. He says it was nothing, but I think something did happen. But, he won't tell me," Ortensia said, concern in her voice.

" Hmmm...I'll go talk to him right away," Gus said, before ducking into the projector screen, with Ortensia following close behind.

" Leave her alone! Leave my wife alone!" Oswald screamed at the Blot creature. It held Ortensia in a brutally misshapen claw by her neck. It gave a horrid cackle.

" i DoN't HAvE tO LiSteN To YoU! I haVe ThE poWEr heRe. WAtcH aT whAt i CaN dO to hER," It growled, then Ortensia's face went white, and she faded into a ghostly figure, the creature then dropped the drained toon.

" NO!"screamed Oswald. The rabbit threw himself at the creature with all his might, but the creature moved out of his way and grabbed Oswald by his ears. It brought him up to it's face.

" yOu ShOULd LeaRN NoW ThAT iF I coULD dO That tO yOU'Re WifE, IMAginE whAT i cOUld Do tO YoU," it growled, it's inky body bubbling furiously.

Suddenly, Oswald felt something shake him violently, and he opened his eyes. Gus flew around him and Ortensia looked concerned.

" What's wrong?" he asked sleepily.

" You had another nightmare, didn't you?" Ortensia asked.

" No!" Oswald snapped." I didn't."

" You did too have a nightmare, you nearly punched me while you were asleep," Gus said sternly.

Oswald sighed, he couldn't lie, caue they knew he was wrong." Yes, I did have a nightmare." Ortensia sat next to him, took his hand and looked into his eyes.

" What happened?" she asked.

* A **salvo** is the simultaneous discharge of artillery or firearms including the firing of guns either to hit a target or to perform a salute.


	2. A New Threat

Chapter. 2

A New Threat

" I see," Gus mused as Oswald finished his story.

Ortensia hugged him closely." I see why you didn't want to tell me anything, sweety," she sighed.

" But they are just dreams. They can't really do anything, can they- Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!" Oswald started to say, suddenly he pitched over the side of the bed, screaming and clutching his chest.

" Oswald! Oswald! What's wrong?" Ortensia shouted as Oswald writhed on the floor. He drummed his feet on the floor furiously, and his eyes rolled toward whites.

" Hhhh-hhhh-hhhhe-heart h-hhhhhhh-h-h-hurts...," he gasped out.

" He's having a heartattack! What can we do?" Ortensia screamed.

" We have to hold him still, or he'll hurt himself!" Gus cried as he flew it to try and hold Oswald still. But Oswald was squirming so much he couldn't grab him. Suddenly, as quickly as it had come, Oswald stopped screaming and clutching at his heart. He started to breath normally.

" Oswald? Are you okay? Answer me!" Ortensia shreaked, shaking Oswald hard.

" I'm fine now! I'm fine. It's...over," he sighed.

" It's not. That was a side effect of something worse to come," Gus said, in his matter-of-fact way.

Ortensia and OSwald looked at him, frightened." What do you mean?" she asked.

Gus landed on the floor and started to explain." When the Blot first absorbed us, Oswald, it must have removed a piece of your stationary heart. Yin Sid said that toons that have beating hearts can exit the Wasteland. Your heart is still in your body, but it is stationary. When the blot had us inside him, it must have taken a piece of your heart and put itself inside."

" What does that mean?" Oswald asked, trembling.

Gus continued," A piece of the Blot that has your heart has inherited all your memories and feelings. It is also connected to the rest of you. The Blot that replaced that missing piece of your heart cannot get stronger and is therefore, dorment. The Blotlette that has your heart piece is free to get stronger and stronger. Eventually it will take your form and be powerful enough to take all your entire body. I assume your hatred for Mickey was what gave it power in the first place. What happens next... can only be imagined." He paused at the last sentense, cause no one really wanted to immagine what would happen then.

Ortensia held Oswald tightly." What can we do?" the black cat girl asked. She didn't want anything to happen to her husband.

" We have to find that Blotlette that has Oswald's heart. If it has already been able to affect his dreams and cause heart attack-like disruptions, I'd say it is already pretty powerful," the gremlin stated.

Oswald sighed. He had once thought that hatred he had for Mickey couldn't do anything once he had gotten rid of it. But now, it had come back to bite him in the rear all over again. He picked himself up off the floor, dusted his fur off and started to leave.

" Where are you going?" Ortensia asked.

" I need to contact a friend," Oswald sighed, looking back.

" I am not going to be late for my date this time. Why is it I always seem to forget our dates?" Mickey asked himself as he dryed his fur. He was going on another date with Minnie tonight. It had almost been impossible to get her to go along with it, due to his being late that last time. In fact, it seemed like a curse for Mickey to forget his dates with Minnie.

" Not this time. I will not be late for this date," he said confidently. He fixed his tie and made sure his ears looked perfect.

Then, he heard a thumping. It sounded like the sound someone makes when they knock on a window. Mickey looked at his bathroom window, expecting someone to be there. No one was there, and the sound continued on. It sounded like it was coming from his bedroom. Peeking out of the bathroom, Mickey looked around. All the windows were void of a person knocking on the window. Then he looked up at the mirror that hung over his fireplace to see Oswald knocking on the glass.

" Oswald! I didn't expect you to visit," he said as he climbed onto the mantle to talk to the rabbit.

" Mickey, you need to come back to the Wasteland, now," the rabbit said.

" But Oswald, I can't. I have a date tonight and-," Mickey started to say.

" Mickey, something has come up and my life is in danger, as is everyones here," Osawld interupted. Mickey looked at his friend, and sighed.

" What's going on, Oswald?"

The cold wind howled through the holes in the fortress. Much of the walls were the remains of old toys, all of the famous mouse. Mickeyjunk Mountain had fallen into disrepair, or at least the lived in parts had. The whole mountain seemed to slump to one side as remaining thinner and time made the mountain slolwy start to collapse. Mickyjunk Mountain was where Oswald had made his living spaces after the Blot had destroyed his home and taken away his wife. He had come here to watch over the Blot after he had bottled it up, and now his old home was falling apart. Now, a new person had taken up residence within the moutain. Not really a person, though.

" iT haS beEN sO loNg sINCe sHaDOw BloT toOK oVeR ThIS PlaCE. so MaNY YeArs I HaVE BeEN SloWLy reGainINg strEnGTh. NoW All I nEeD iS tHe reSt oF ThAt RaBBits hEart To cOme tO FuLL StrENgtH," the inky black rabbit said, a metal septer in it's hand. Other little Blotlings scurried around at its feet. A bang of the septer on the metal floor made them stop and pay attention to their master.

" GO! BrInG HiM To mE, ALIve," the black rabbit growled. The Blotlings took off to do their master's bidding. The creature cackled to himself.

" My goodness...," Mickey said to himself. Things had gotten worse all over again since he had left the Wasteland again.

" Please, help me Mickey. You've helped out in the past," Oswald sighed, more paniced then ever. Mickey thought about it, Oswald was his brother, even if he didn't seem to realize it yet. And he had come to think of the people in the Wasteland as his second family of friends. Even though a date that he cept with Minnie would be a wonderful moment, he couldn't let his brother get turned over to the Blot.

" I'll have to call and tell Minnie I can't make it tonight. She is not going to be happy," Mickey sighed.

He hoped off the mantle and went to talk to his girlfriend on the phone. Oswald sighed and waited for Mickey to come back. The mouse he had hated for so long in the past was dropping his date with his girlfriend so he could help his world again. Mickey always seemed to be able to drop everything just for the sake of his friends. Then, he thought back to when he had told Oswald he would have done the same to save his friends when he had given his heart to save him and Gus. He had changed the subject because back then, because he couldn't say yes or no to that. He had still resented the mouse back then because Mickey had created the Blot by accident and caused all that pain and misery.

Now, he might possibly say yes to that, even though he had no heart to give. Oswald began to wonder if he could be so indifferent to others in trouble like Mickey was. Would he drop everything to help others, even if it ment possibly dying? Was he capable of doing that? Or had his years of solitude changed him to something different? He thought about it and it seemed possible. While the Blot had never actually touched him, it had changed him in some way. He had become a jealous, resentful shadow of his former self. His thought process was halted when he heard Mickey come back.

" It took some sweet talking, but I have schedualed our date for another night. I'm coming over," Mickey said as he climbed on to the mantel again. Oswald moved to allow Mickey through. Mickey took a step foreward, and his foot pushed the glass mirror. The solid glass bent like Jell-o as Mickey forsed his way from his world into the Wasteland. As he dragged his right hand through the looking glass, the paint brush materialized in his hand. Some fresh paint formed on its tip and dripped to the ground.

" Glad to have you over here, Mickey," Oswald said, smiling a little. Then he turned away to try and hide his grin. " Come on, lets go."

The two characters walked down the stairs, and towards the projector screens at the other end of Mean Street. Mickey looked at his brother, he seemed disturbed by something.

_Must be the recent events_, he thought. But Oswald was thinking about something differnet. The pain in the center of his unbeating heart. Its pain was horrible, but Oswald stuffed down the agonizing pain and continued on.


End file.
